The Long Deep History of Parry Sound, Pt. 1

The Long Deep History of Parry Sound is a two-part series telling the geological history of our area.

The first white settlers came to this region in the 1850s – but history is more than just what is recorded by people. To some people, the unrecorded past can be just as interesting; but the reading of that history is often difficult as it requires special knowledge. I have a bit of the special knowledge, and so I want to tell you a bit of the hidden history of Parry Sound.

Everyone who lives around here knows that the area is old. We live in the Precambrian Shield, but for most people that is all they know. I would tell you that saying we live in the Precambrian Shield is like saying, “Parry Sound is in North America.” One hundred percent correct, but not very specific. I think that is a shame, because Parry Sound is located in a very interesting place.

Read more about Parry Sound's geological history after the jump...

Crafts N' Things Hobbies & Games

Just south of town is a little known shop, one most of you might not have heard of: Crafts N' Things Hobbies & Games. I know I did not know about it for a long time. It is small and somewhat out of the way, but that adds to its presence and flavour.

The vast collection of action figures, models, cards and miniatures, not to mention the colossal collection of comic books, as well as a mighty amount of t-shirts, craft and hobby supplies, will please almost anyone’s niche. However it is not the store that makes this place stand out; it is the owners, Tammy and James Federico, who make the small store a home to gamers and nerds of many varieties.

There is more to this place then just a store; it is a place of imagination and creativity, a place to escape from some of the more mundane parts of life, a place where one can become something more.

Explore more of Tammy and James' store after the jump...

Seedy Saturday: Starting the Growth of the Food Revolution

Way back in March, in the high ceiling, a voice rose up in a bubbling stew of ideas. Fresh vegetables, canned goods, home-spun yarn, handmade household goods, and of course seeds for the coming spring are swapped down among the people, and ideas become action.

Canned goods from Mrs. Wilson's Kitchen.

Welcome to the world of McKellar's vibrant food culture.

McKellar is an interesting place. It's wrapped in forest, shored in by lakes, and blanketed by sky. Earth, nature, food and our impact upon it is in our backyards. It is something unavoidable. More than any other place in the Parry Sound District people want good food, and control over the way they eat.

I am well immersed in this. Since I was little I've seen it grow into a movement, like the seeds they plant in their gardens.

Learn more about Seedy Saturday after the jump...